Not A Word
by Juliet'sReplacement
Summary: On Cloud's birthday, he just wants to avoid the disaster that happened last year when Yuffie tried to give him a party. But this year, what does Cloud REALLY want? Cloti Oneshot, extreme Fluff at the end.


**As we all know, FF VII fans, the amazing Cloud Strife's birthday is coming up soon on August 11th. ^^ As a result, I have successfully completed a fanfiction entirely dedicated to his birthday this year. :3 Includes EXTREME fluff at the end, beware! XD Enjoy!**

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><p>Cloud wordlessly walked out of the bar, got on his Fenrir, and sped away into the night. 12:01 PM. His birthday at last. And yet, he didn't want anyone making a deal out of it, whether big or small, so he simply left. He would stay away for twenty four hours, giving him some time to himself and managing to escape from the numerous calls, hugs, gifts, and everything else he might receive. Cloud didn't want any of it. It was his opinion that some things were better left alone. This, in his mind, included his birthday.<p>

He wasn't sure where he was going, but at the moment he didn't really care. The Fenrir carried him through the streets of Midgar, the darkness enveloping him like a blanket, soft and comforting. He was the only one out at this time of night. Cloud sped without pause through the streets, around corners, down straightaways, and he paid no attention to where he was going, only seeing something looming in front of him and reacting, seeing a T-intersection and taking one way or the other, speeding straight through a four-way intersection.

Hours passed, and the sky gradually grew lighter, bit by bit. And by about 6 AM, Cloud found himself sliding off Fenrir outside of the church. Wordlessly, he looked up at the colored window and the tall spire, spiky blonde hair waving in front of his eyes.

_Why am I here, of all places..._ he wondered briefly, before discarding the question. It didn't matter. He just came here to get away from it... all the calls, all the people saying 'Happy Birthday'... just like last year, it would grate on his nerves. So he got away from it. Cloud walked in, and paused, taking in the old, empty rows of pews, the deserted altar, and on the middle of the floor, innumerable white and yellow lilies. It was... strangely peaceful here, he noticed calmly. It was a good place to just sit... and think.

The stoic blonde warrior made himself comfortable on the old wood at the edge of the flower patch, sighing quietly. Just because it was his birthday, that didn't mean he had to put up with any of the stuff that came with it. Cake, gifts, well-wishers, parties... Cloud didn't want any of it. He had asked last year if they could treat the day like any other, like it _wasn't_ his birthday. And after the initial 'happy birthday' from Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel, they three alone had passed over it, not mentioning it again, as he had asked.

Yuffie, Cid, and everyone else, on the other hand...

Cloud shook his head. Yuffie had decided to throw a party for him the previous year, and... well, it would be an understatement to say things hadn't gone well. As a result, he didn't really want to relive any of that, so he thought it best to just remain on his own for his birthday.

Cloud sighed quietly again, laying back on the worn wood. He put his hands behind his head, simply laying there, looking up at the ceiling. It was... relaxing, almost. Just laying here, breathing in the cool air, saturated with the sweet, gentle, floral smell, tinted with cinnamon...

Wait.

Cinnamon?

_Tifa..._

Cloud knew she was here, though how she got here ahead of him he couldn't fathom. Even so, he didn't sit up. He merely remained staring at the partially-fallen-in ceiling, and after a moment heard faint steps on the floor. He didn't move. A dark head entered his field of vision, long black hair hanging down, dark brown eyes sparkling.

"Hey, Cloud," she murmured, moving to sit down next to him. He grunted, not in the mood to reply.

Tifa pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knees. She knew it was Cloud's birthday. She'd known for a while now. But... remembering the disasterous events last year, she wisely decided to say nothing.

She sat next to Cloud on the old, reddish-hued wood, simply sitting there. If he didn't want to talk, she wasn't going to pressure him. However, she did occasionally give him a sidelong glance, feeling her heart dip a little each time. Tifa loved him... so, so much. Whether he was aware of it was a different matter. But it was times like these that made her wonder what could possibly be going through the blonde warrior's spiky head right now, what he might be thinking of doing, what he could be remembering, how he felt about a certain issue... Tifa sighed inaudibly, using a slim finger to push her black bangs out of her eyes.

Noon came and went, and neither of the two people said anything at all. They didn't even get up to stretch their legs or anything. They just remained on the edge of the flowers and grass, Tifa with her knees pulled up to her chin and Cloud just stretched out on his back on the wood, Tifa by his head. The day passed surprisingly quickly, and thankfully there were no calls to Cloud to break the silence; he had smartly left his phone at the bar. Tifa had done the same, avoiding the calls that would surely come to her next asking where Cloud was. A slight smile touched her face at the thought. Was it that obvious to their friends, that if nobody had any idea where the stoic blonde warrior was, they could call her next to find out?

It began to grow dark again when Tifa finally moved. She changed position, resting on her knees as she looked over and down at Cloud. "I'm surprised they haven't sent out search parties," she said lightly, but quietly. His cerulean blue eyes flicked to her, and he 'hmm'ed a response. There was no need to ask who 'they' were. "But... I think they might have noticed there's a reason for that..." Tifa trailed off with a wry smile, and decided it was time Cloud sat up and began actually interacting with someone. After all, whether it was acknowledged or not, birthdays were always meant to be spent with somebody. She offered him a smile, then stood, grabbing his forearms as she did so, hauling him up too.

Cloud's brief glance had that expression in it that made people wonder if they were sane, but Tifa ignored it once he was on his feet. "Come on," she said easily. "We can either go back and brave the ocean of Yuffie's party, or we could... you know... just stay here for another little while, until they disappear."

"Stay here," confirmed Cloud quietly, using as few words as possible, simply nodding once. Tifa nodded too.

"I thought you'd say that," she said with another smile. "I mean, after last year..."

"Yeah..."

"We don't want a repeat," Tifa said, barely managing to keep a straight face. It seemed Cloud was having the same problem- the ghost of a smile tugged on the corners of his thin lips while his cerulean eyes sparkled. Tifa recognized his poker face for what it was, and knew he was thinking of the same disasterous events from the year before.

"Well... at least this time, Yuffie won't get to make the cake," Tifa couldn't resist adding dryly, and heard the strangest sort of quick, quiet exhale from Cloud, and when she looked up, she could have sworn the blonde warrior was doing his best to hold back a smile. She allowed herself another small smile, glad that she was at least making Cloud a little happy. Because in her mind, everyone deserved to be at least a little bit cheerful on their birthday at some point. Everyone, yes, but particularly Cloud, since he was always so... quiet, stony.

"Hey, Tifa..." said Cloud quietly, sitting down on one of the pews, placing his fingertips together and leaning over them on his knees.

"Yes, Cloud?" she asked gently, sitting beside him. She sensed that there was something bothering him, and a moment later knew she was right when he hesitated.

"...On your birthday... are you supposed to... well..."

"What is it? You know you can ask me anything," she added softly, placing a small hand on the nearest shoulder. The blonde warrior looked over at her, his cerulean eyes troubled.

"...How are you... _supposed_ to feel on your birthday? I mean, is a person supposed to be sad, that another year of their life's over, or happy, because..." Cloud trailed off, shaking his head. "Never mind. Forget I asked."

Tifa paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "It's... entirely up to the person... how they feel on their... on their birthday," she said slowly, being sure of every word before it came out of her mouth. "But... everyone's different, Cloud. While someone might... I don't know, be absolutely thrilled that their birthday's here, someone else... someone else might hide or shy away from the fact. And others..." Tifa took a small breath. "Others might just not _want_ to be happy, and just... try to make everyone else... happy. They don't care about how _they_ feel at that particular time."

Cloud nodded once, his cerulean eyes disturbed. "You're like that," he said suddenly, and Tifa blinked in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"You," he repeated quietly, not looking at her. "You try to make others happy, when it's really _you_ that should be." Tifa's mouth opened slightly, her reddish-brown eyes fixed on the blonde figure next to her. She hesitated, not sure what to say to this. But Cloud looked up at her, and her breath caught. At that particular moment, Tifa wasn't sure if there was anything to say, even if she had wanted to speak. Which, right then, she didn't. Cloud looked down again, and asked, "Tifa?"

"Um... yes?" she managed, still blinking.

"I... I know what I want. For my birthday."

Tifa smiled now, sure Cloud was going to say something like an item, family, or something along those lines. Instead-

His mouth closed over hers.

Tifa made a small sound in shock, but Cloud just used the small parting of her mouth to seal his lips more completely over hers. And after a moment, Tifa found her willpower melting away. Cloud kept their mouths locked together, and whatever he was doing, it was making her knees turn to jelly. Tifa thought it was a good thing she wasn't standing when that particular realization hit her. Instead of pulling away, Tifa leaned slightly closer to Cloud, her slim hands making their way up to the back of his neck, tangling lightly in his gold-coloured hair. Cloud's warm, muscular arms snaked around her waist, holding her even closer to him. And all the while, their mouths besieged the other's fiercely.

After several minutes, they broke apart, and simply sat there, facing each other on the long wooden bench, Tifa's hands around his neck and Cloud's arms around her waist, their foreheads resting against the other's. Cloud's cerulean blue eyes almost seemed to glitter, but Tifa knew hers were probably no different.

"So," she whispered, not moving right then but not exactly wanting to either, "What did you want for your birthday?" His next words shocked her.

"Marry me."

And then his mouth was on hers again, just like before, almost attacking the other's lips. Tifa thought that her mouth and eyes might have been able to express her answer in a way that words never could.


End file.
